The Carnivale Interviews

Friday, March 03, 2006

CARNYCON UPDATED!

Announcing CarnyCon LIVE!!!



CarnyCon LIVE is an in-person, fan-run convention for "Carnivale" fans, and we are NOW taking paid registrations!

CarnyCon LIVE will be held in Los Angeles on the weekend of Friday, April 21st 2006 thru Sunday, April 23, 2006.



What will CarnyCon LIVE entail?

CarnyCon LIVE will begin Friday evening with a casual meet & greet party for the fans. Carnivale treats, such as popcorn, soda, corn dogs, etc. will be served (included in membership price) and the fans will have the opportunity to mingle and get to know one another in a friendly and fun-filled atmosphere. Friday Night entertainment will include fan-made music videos, Tarot Card Readings by Stacey Haines of Witch-on-Wheels, and feats of mentalism and sleight of hand magic by Master Magician Rich Ferguson. Saturday will be filled with Question and Answer periods with folks from the Carnivale cast and crew, as well as an autograph session. There will be a Saturday Lunch Buffet served, and a Dinner Buffet/Party on Saturday night -- and BOTH meals are also INCLUDED in the price of your registration! Sunday will include a Writer's Panel, as well as various Carnivale guest speakers and panels through mid-afternoon.



Our Celebrity Guest line-up includes Carnivale Creator Daniel Knauf, Clancy Brown (Brother Justin), Clea DuVall (Sofie), Cynthia Ettinger (Rita Sue), Debra Christofferson (Lila), Brian Turk (Gabriel), Carla Gallo (Libby), Amanada Aday (Dora Mae), Patrick Bauchau (Lodz), Diane Salinger (Apollonia), Michael J. Anderson (Samson), Ralph Waite (Rev. Norman Balthus), John Savage (Henry "Hack" Schudder), and Scott MacDonald (Burley).

Our Writer's Panel includes Special Guest Carnivale Writer/Producers Daniel Knauf, Tracy Torme, William Schmidt, Dawn Prestwich, and Nicole Yorkin.

(All Special Guest appearances are contingent upon professional availability.)

We are sorry, but due to professional commitments, Adrienne Barbeau, Tim DeKay, Rob Knepper, and John Carroll Lynch will not be able to attend CarnyCon.



CarnyCon will be held at the Hilton Woodland Hills, in Woodland Hills, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles) Our Hotel Room Block Rate will be $89.00 per night, plus taxes -- a GREAT price in LA!

Registration fees for Attending Members are $150 (if registration is sent in BEFORE Sept. 1, 2005), $165 (if registration is sent between Sept.2, 2005 thru Dec. 1, 2005), $175 (if registration is sent between Dec. 2, 2005 thru April 1, 2006.) International fans, please pay in US Funds only please.



We WILL accept registrations via PayPal (with an additional, non refundable PayPal service fee.) PayPal prices (US Funds only, please), are: $155 (if registration is sent in BEFORE Sept. 1, 2005), $171 (if registration is sent between Sept.2, 2005 thru Dec. 1, 2005), $181 (if registration is sent between Dec. 2, 2005 thru April 1, 2006.)



Attending Memberships for Children between the age of 3 and 12 years of age are US$50.00 (US$52.00 via PayPal.) Children 2 years of age and younger will be allowed in for free. Minors between the ages of 13 and 17 must pay the full membership price. All children 13 years of age or under must be accompanied by a registered adult member at all times. Minors between the ages of 14 and 17 must register along with an adult member who will be responsible for their actions.

There will be NO memberships taken at the door.



Supporting Memberships (for people who WILL NOT be able to attend the convention but who would still like to contribute money to help support CarnyCon LIVE), are $50.00. All Supporting Members will receive a royal blue Carnivale baseball cap (the same as the ones given out to the cast and crew), and a Thank You Letter signed by Dan Knauf and Clancy Brown. Supporting Membership caps and letters will start being shipped by September 1st. We will also accept payments for Supporting Memberships via PayPal (with an additional, non-refundable service fee.) The PayPal price for a Supporting Membership is $52.00.



Registration forms and PayPal information are available at the CarnyCon LIVE Website.

Please follow the link to our Ticketing Information Page.



Please Download and fill out the CarnyCon Registration Form and send it along with your payment to: CARNYCON, c/o Beth Blighton. PO Box 8655, Benton Harbor, MI 49023. We accept checks and money orders made out to CARNYCON (US Funds Only please.)



If paying by PayPal, follow the links on the ticketing page directly to PayPal. Please send a printout of your PayPal payment confirmation along with your registration form to CarnyCon, c/o Beth Blighton, PO Box 8655, Benton Harbor, MI 49023, for our records.



Please be sure to fill out ALL information on your Registration Form and
sign the waiver.

Memberships to CarnyCon LIVE will be LIMITED to 250 Attending Members.



We hope you will join us at the CarnyCon LIVE in Los Angeles next spring! It'll be great to put faces to names, party with our fan friends from all over the world, and spend time with the very generous cast & crew of "Carnivale" who we've all grown so close to in this wonderful fandom. If you enjoyed the ONLINE CarnyCon, we think you will enjoy the live and in person version even more.






We look forward to seeing you there!








Best wishes,
-- The CarnyCon LIVE Convention Committee

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Adrienne Barbeau and Tim DeKay
at Flashback Weekend in Chicago!




Carnivale's own Tim DeKay (Jonesy) and Adrienne Barbeau (Ruthie) made an appearance at the "Save Carnivale Rally" held at the Flashback Weekend Horror Convention on Saturday, July 29th. Both Adrienne and Tim had their own discussion panels, and also signed autographs and took photos with fans in the dealer's room, throughout the day.



Tim and Adrienne were interviewed onstage by Ain't It Cool News' own "Capone", concerning Carnivale's cancellation and fandom's efforts to bring it back. Tim & Adrienne also fielded questions from the audience.



The interviews/Q&A session with Tim and Adrienne were filmed, and Capone said that the rally organizers would be forwarding tape from the rally to the powers-that-be at HBO.



A Save Carnivale petition was also circulated through the audience during the rally and garnered approximately 100 signatures, which will also be sent to HBO. Though this was primarily a horror convention, with a very specific audience in mind, there was a nice crowd in the ballroom during both panels and the rally. So, it wouldn't be surprising if Carnivale picks up a few new fans this weekend!




Flashback Weekend continues through Sunday, July 31st, with a Carnivale panel featuring Adrienne Barbeau, Tim DeKay, Bill Moseley (Possum), and Matt McGrory (the Giant).



Many thanks to Flashback organizer, Mike Kerz, for his generosity & help, to Adrienne and Tim, for their gracious kindness to all the fans in attendence, and to Diane & Julie, for sending in Save Carnivale buttons & stickers to the convention, and for putting together the Save Carnivale petition that was circulated.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Our SAVE CARNIVALE Telegram Drive!

We are encouraging all the fans of "Carnivale" to take a moment this weekend or throughout the week to send a Telegram to HBO Entertainment CEO, Chris Albrecht, to let him know that we want "Carnivale" back for a third season! All Telegrams sent through Western Union this weekend (through 6:00 pm Eastern time on Monday) will be delivered to Mr. Albrecht by Tuesday, April 19th. The final decision about renewal rests in Mr. Albrecht's hands, and we feel that Telegrams could be a VERY effective way for the fans' voices to be heard.

You see, Telegrams cost MONEY, and MONEY is the language Networks talk. If the fans are prepared to spend $14.99 to send HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht a Western Union TELEGRAM telling him to "Save Carnivale!" (or the like), it WILL get to his desk. It will get to SOMEBODY'S desk, for certain. And it will say "Here is a fan who is willing to spend what MIGHT have gone to a month's subscription of HBO, who has spent it instead on letting the Big Boss know what program we want back above all others."

You have 1000 characters (about 200 words) to let him know JUST how you feel about the issue. And those telegrams say MONEY SPENT. It'll be something that gets delivered by a messenger -- in DROVES -- to the one man in whose hand the fate of our show rests... Chris Albrecht.

ADDRESS:
Chris Albrecht - Chairman and CEO
HBO Entertainment
2500 Broadway, Ste. 400
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Here is the URL for Western Union:
https://wumt.westernunion.com/asp/tgReceiver.asp


Dan Knauf has thrown his support behind this campaign, as well. Here is his message to the CarnivaleHBO Yahoo group...

From Daniel Knauf:

This is a great idea! I officially endorse it. But first let me go buy some stock in Western Union! Heh...

Guys, you're so right. The lack of a decision from HBO has a devastating effect on fans, cast and crew alike. I don't think a day goes by in which I don't field a question from friends, crew-members or cast regarding the status of the show.

Why are they waiting? You got me. HBO has all the ratings info. They know how much the show cost. They have the DVD sales figures. There's really only two possibilities:

1.) The fix is in, the decision to cancel already made--in which case they are simply hoping to delay an official announcement to mitigate any ill will from fans and subscribers and potential repercussions; or

2.) They're on a fence, and just need something to tip them into picking us up.

If the former is true, a delaying tactic makes some sense. The farther down the road from the finale, the duller the sting.

At least, that's the theory.

However, I believe the latter is more likely. So tip away. And keep tipping. Shove if you have to. At the end of the day, if the show is cancelled, at least we'll know did everything we could.

D.

PS - And the ad in the trades? Don't bother with that one. It'll be in everyone's wastebasket by the end of the day. I'd rather you spent the money (as someone suggested) on your preferred charity.



So there you have it, folks. PLEASE help us help "Carnivale" by joining in this Telegram Drive, and be sure to pass the word along to friends, fans, co-workers, and family.

Let's make some noise and get "Carnivale" renewed for a third season!

Friday, March 11, 2005

WIRX “Decoding Carnivale” call-in with Clancy Brown & Dan Knauf • 03-07-05

This is the transcript from Clancy’s radio call-in segment on Southwest Michigan’s WIRX/Rock 107.1, with Shelley Morgan.

SHELLEY: First, it’s after four o’clock! Time to “Decode Carnivale” with Brother Justin Crowe from the show, actor Clancy Brown… And a Special Guest this week! “Carnivale” creator Dan Knauf! Always fun to get to talk to Clancy, but I gotta tell ya, Dan. I’m pretty excited to get to talk to you!

DAN: Aw… I’d hold that in reserve until you talk to me for a bit, and then you might be completely regretting it.

Shelley: I shouldn’t be so impressed, right at the beginning?

Dan: (Laughing) Um… no.

Shelley: Okay. So, I’ll hold the impressed until later.

Dan: Yeah!

Shelley: I really enjoyed the show.

Dan: Yeah, Ben’s become a regular heal-a-thon lately!

Shelley: He has, hasn’t he?

Dan: Yeah, he’s a busy little guy…

Shelly: But I’m sitting there watching and seeing the most horrific thing. Because you hear of people who have been tarred and feathered, but it’s not something you ever really visualize.

Dan: Yeah, we kind of took it out of the Three Stooges territory.

Shelley: Yeah, you think?

CLANCY: It always seemed like such fun, didn’t it? It always seemed like such a fun image…

Dan: Yeah, just sort of Small Town Wacky!

Clancy: Yeah!

Dan: But no, it wasn’t fun.

Shelley: It was VERY horrific!

Dan: (chuckles)

Shelley: I mean, wow! And so Ben shows up… and you knew that was gonna happen!

Dan: Oh, yeah!

Shelley: Because Ben needs to, as Clancy and I have been talking about, Ben needs to start building his army. He needs to start bringing his disciples together.

Dan: Plus, he was kind of presented with a Hobson’s choice there. He needs to stop the guy from getting Scudder to Brother Justin, which is really important for the whole world, but then again, his friend is in trouble. And not really even his friend! Just somebody he worked with. And thank goodness he made the right choice.

Shelley: But you still get the feeling… You know that, if it were anybody at the side of the road, Ben would do it.

Dan. Ah, I don’t know.

Clancy: I don’t know!

Shelley: Really?

Clancy: I don’t know, I was kinda surprised he did it.

Dan: Yeah, I think if it was just some guy, like, holding up a sign that said “Will Work For Healin’!” he probably woulda just blown right past him.

Shelley: (laughing)

Clancy: (chuckling)

Shelley: Yeah, I’m thinkin’ that. But Ben is… He’s compassionate! And if there was someone who really needed his help…

(Dogs barking in background)

Dan: Oh, yeah.

Clancy: Ben is a softie…

Shelley: It was such a cool moment between Ben & Jonesy.

Dan: Yeah!

Shelley: There was this great connection before Ben started to heal him.

Dan: I think it’s kind of cool when you’ve got two guys who have always sort of not gotten along, and you go, “You know, those guys should be friends, cuz they’re both nice guys.” And then they finally hook up. You know what I mean?

Shelley: Um-hmm.

Dan: So yeah, it was fun to write, and I think it was fun to watch.

Shelley: And then, when the tar just kind of falls off of him…

Dan: Yeah.

Shelley: That was a really great image to see, too. Because earlier, Libby had tried to pull it off of him, and she knew that just wasn’t gonna happen.

Dan: Yeah!

Clancy: But there are a couple of spas here in Southern California where you can have a Tar Treatment.

Shelley: (chuckling) Wow! That doesn’t sound like fun at all.

Clancy: (chuckling) That Hot Tar Treatment, it’s great for the skin!

Dan: I went to Two Bunch Palms, I got the whole Tar n’ Feather deal!

Shelley: (laughing) How much did that set you back?

Dan: (laughing) Actually, they were payin’ me…

Shelley: Oh…

Dan: See, it was another guest who actually got to do it to me. So it’s sort of a thing.

Shelley: (laughing)

Clancy: And it was for the show, so you get to write it off.

Dan: Yeah.

Shelley: It was research, exactly. Beautiful! “Decoding Carnivale” with not only Clancy Brown, but “Carnivale” creator Dan Knauf. A bit of a glance inside the character of Brother Justin Crowe last night!

Dan: What I liked about this episode is that it kinda brought back the whole thing… There was real sincerity and love from Justin to Balthus.

Shelley: Yeah!

Dan: And Clancy played it beautifully, as just “Get away from this man!.” Cuz he LOVES him! That’s his FATHER!

Shelley: Right!

Dan: And that doesn’t just go away because you happen to be the Creature of Darkness!

Shelley: (chuckling) Right, because he’s not all bad. He’s human, and there are good points and bad points.

Dan: Yeah, and when he sits down and starts being Pastoral with Sofie, I think he’s really trying to help her. I don’t think he’s, “Well hey, maybe if we get down on our knees and pray, I can work somthin’ here!” I think he’s half-human. And nobody’s the bad guy in their own story!

Shelley: It worked so well because it was caring and compassionate.

Dan: (Laughing) And yet, you know no good can come of it!

Clancy: (Evil laugh)

Dan: The casts of both worlds very rarely meet. And when they do, it’s always kind of like two guys waving from passing ships. So in a way, it was really kind of neat to inject Sofie into that world. And it’s fun to see her playing scenes with Iris and Brother Justin.

Shelley: She’s out of her element, but she’s so excited to be someplace else, and seeing something else, and having new experiences, and stuff.

Clancy: Yes! Yes! And plus she’s a lot cleaner…

Shelley: Well, that’s true.

Dan: (Evil laugh)

Shelley: Maybe that’s what the difference was! She actually had taken a bath!

Clancy: Yes, she’s thrilled to have soap.

Shelley: (Laughing)

Clancy: In the last few episodes, and this one included, we’ve seen Justin have visions of mortal vulnerability, and the impression it’s headed his way.

Dan: Yeah, I think Justin is beginning to hear that ticking crocodile.

Clancy: Yes, he’s hearing the ticking crocodile, so there’s real fear in it. And maybe the only comfort he has anymore is in his human side. He’s entering Jerusalem, as it were, so he knows somethin’s gonna happen that could very well result in his death. He hasn’t quite put it all together yet, but…

Shelley: No, because Justin doesn’t have as much information as Ben does, because Scudder’s still alive.

Clancy: Right:

Shelley: And speaking of Scudder… We see Scudder and Stroud in a cheap motel room, and Ben sees them too! Because Ben’s there I the room.

Clancy: Yeah, what was that, a little astral projection? I didn’t know Ben could do that!

Dan: Yeah, Ben can… But it HURTS.

Shelley: Oh, it does?

Dan: Oh yeah, if he focuses… He’s not really taking himself out. He’s not really going there like in a bi-location. Physically, he’s not there.

Shelley: Right, the people he’s looking at can’t see him. It’s kind of like “A Christmas Carol.”

Dan: Yeah, but it takes it out of him.

Shelley: That’s why he started the nosebleed.

Dan: Yes, the blue nosebleed.

Shelley: With the blue blood… Very nice.

Clancy: And I liked the line he said, too. “Jeepers!”

Dan: It’s always fun to write that stuff in.

Shelley: Cuz you can’t really use those kinds of words writing it for contemporary…

Dan: You could, but the person would be like a total dork. But in that time, you could say stuff like “Jeepers!” Jeepers-Creepers! And still be cool. Maybe we’ll bring back “Jeepers”, Clancy!

Clancy: I’m… looking for opportunities. I’m looking for opportunities to say a lot of these lines…

Dan: Like “Putting the boots to the biscuit”…

Clancy: Yeah.

Dan: Yeah.

Shelley: Bringing back Jeepers… That’s gonna happen, I can tell!

Dan: (chuckling) Jeepers!

Clancy: Jeepers!

Dan: It sounds cool when YOU say it!

Shelley: It sounds cool when Clancy says it, cuz anything sounds cool when Clancy says it.

Dan: Yeah.

Clancy: You’ll have to use that on the radio more and more. Say Jeepers!

Dan: Yeah, just start saying it! Jeepers!

Shelley: Yeah, that’s gonna happen guys! (laughing) Didn’t you just say that when people say “Jeepers” now, they sound like dorks? (laughing) Yeah… We’re gonna continue that. We’ll keep the Jeepers goin’! So let’s see, what else happened last night?

Dan: That whole thing with Ruthie was really creepy!

Clancy: Yeah, no kiddin’!

Dan: I tell ya, it’s times like that I’m really happy that we went with Adrienne, cuz she’s got all the experience on all those John Carpenter movies. Ya know? She really knows how to open her eyes into a freaky reveal.

Clancy: (chuckling)

Dan: BOING!!!

Shelley: (laughing) And then Lila’s knocking on the door.

Dan: Isn’t it funny how Lila is courting her?

Shelley: I know! She’s hitting on her!

Clancy: What’s that all about?

Dan: (chuckling)

Shelley: Well, I don’t know. Maybe she feels that when Ruthie channels Lodz, she might get some. I don’t know! Maybe Lila’s lonely!

Dan: I felt a little bad, though, cuz you can actually see the beard kind coming off Debra in that shot!

Clancy: (evil chuckle)

Shelley: I was gonna say something about that…

Dan: Yeah, the beard was really falling off… (evil chuckle)

Shelley: It looked very sparse. It hasn’t looked that sparse before.

Clancy: I was just looking at her eyes, those pleading, pathetic eyes…

Shelley: Puppy dog eyes…

Dan: I know! Isn’t she great?

Shelley: Yeah, she really is.

Dan: Yeah, it’s always like that when your boyfriend suddenly becomes a girl.

Shelley: (giggling)

Clancy: I know, in your pursuit of the unattainable… You’ll try anything!

Dan: And Amy rocked last night.

Shelley: Didn’t she?

Dan: She’s just really freakin’ scary!

Clancy: She is sooo scary!

Shelley: Because she can go from those moments, as well, when she’s talking to Balthus, ya know?

Dan: (evil chuckle)

Shelley: She’s still being very hard as a rock, but she’s being very gentle with him.

Dan: Yeah!

Shelley: And then just pickin’ up that oar, and just smackin’ Eleanor on the top of the head! And just beating her to death!

Dan: Yeah, it’s been YEARS since I’ve seen anybody get a good oar-whackin’ on TV! (laughing)

Clancy: (chuckling) I always like the arrest after the initial smack. It’s like, “Oh, I smacked her over the head.” Like that’s enough. “Well… maybe that’s not enough,” (laughing)

Dan: (Laughing)

Shelley: Maybe she needs three or four more!

Dan: One good whack deserves another!

Clancy: Yeah, I LOVED that!

Dan: And another, and another, and another… I think this show, the theme, in a way, if you look at it, it’s really kind of a Three Stooges thing. Between getting hit on the head with an oar and getting tarred & feathered… There was a lot of Moe-ness going on.

Shelley: (laughing) I didn’t catch that! I didn’t catch the Three Stooges analogy so much. But you’re right!

Clancy: Curly is the Creature of Light, and Moe is the Creature of Darkness, and they’re battling for the soul of Larry, I think.

Dan: Yeah, that’s pretty much… Shh! Don’t let the cat out of the bag!

Shelley: (laughing)

Dan: What we’re doing here is really The Three Stooges meets Milton’s “Paradise Lost”. That’s basically the theme.

Clancy: (chuckling in the background)

Shelley: Wow. That was your pitch, wasn’t it?

Dan: That’s EXACTLY what I went in with.

Shelley: Mm-hmm… And kudos to HBO for being able to go, “You know, that sounds pretty awesome! Let’s do that!”

Dan: They were pretty drunk.

Shelley: (laughing hard) I think that’s always a good move in a pitch meeting, to make sure the guys you’re trying to get that story sold to are just hammered off their ass.

Dan: Oh, yeah! Chris Albrecht woke up the next morning and just, “I bought WHAT?!?”

Shelley: Well, we still have a couple more episodes left, what’s next for us on HBO’s “Carnivale”?

Clancy: Well, there’s gonna be MANY more questions and MANY more answers in the coming weeks, so…

Shelley: We’ve got three new episodes left!

Clancy: Three episodes left for this season, and they’re chock full of fun stuff, too. (evil laugh) There’s not a lot of exposition to happen anymore, there’s only loose ends to tie up -- or at least pay-offs to pay off.

(sound of train going by in the background)

Shelley: Okay.

Clancy: We’re going to the bank. We’re cashing in a lot of the atmospheric exposition chips that we’ve built up over the last couple of seasons.

Shelley: Alrighty then! You heard it from the men themselves! Clancy Brown and Dan Knauf, thanks for taking time out to help us “Decode Carnivale” again – on HBO2 tonight, the repeat, and then, Sunday night at 10:00, a brand-new episode. We only have THREE MORE new episodes, so if you haven’t gotten into it yet, there’s still time. And it’s a really great show! So, check it out. And thanks again, you guys!

Thursday, January 13, 2005

CarnyCon • the Online Carnivale Convention OPEN SOON!




Coming Soon! CarnyCon Opens to the public Thursday, February 24th, 2005!

www.CarnyCon.com

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Madames et Messieurs, Damen und Herren, step right up...

Prepare yourselves to enter the wondrous, the exotic world of the mysterious Carnivale!

Stroll our midway. Feast your eyes upon the amazing and the bizarre. Partake in a friendly game of chance, or enter a different realm and communicate with "the other side."

What fortunes may be foretold within? What secrets may be revealed? What treasures might be purchased, should one throw one's self with abandon into the thrills & chills of our tent revival/auction? And who might you run into in the press of the crowd?

There's only one way to find out...

Join us for CarnyCon, the Online "Carnivale" Convention, opening Thursday, February 24th!

Remember... Admission is FREE!

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Decoding Carnivale with Clancy Brown • 01-10-05

There's a brand new "Decoding Carnivale" transcript up at the Official Clancy Brown Fan Club Weblog!

Hope you all enjoy!

Friday, September 17, 2004

New Article
About Visiting a "Jackie Chan Adventures"
Recording Session with Clancy Brown

Now Available at:
The Official Clancy Brown Fan Club Weblog